We do that too -- we try include enough for the number of soldiers listed on the contact sheet but if not.. a good start.  Never knew those things could compact so until you are squishing them inbetween two items.

Shelly in GA.

Proud mother of Steven - heading to Korea on October 22nd.

What an absolutely clever idea.  I wouldn't, if I hadn't seen it in writing, thought to fill spaces with shopping bags so they have something w/handles to carry their stuff back to living qtrs.  DUH!  I need to start thinking like I was there, what would I need and / or like to see in the boxes.

Thanks for the verbal nudge Gran.  Wow.  That is another excellent idea that I will be putting to use ASAP.

barb

Hi Gran...

That is a great idea...it's nice learning these short cuts since I'm new at this. How do you feel about sending bulk? I'm afraid if I send 10 bottles of shampoo and 10 cream rinse at once ...they may end up on the PX shelf? From what I've been reading in the forums...boxes disappear.

Take Care,

Kathy

Kathy,

With all the uncertainties and possibilities after the packages leave our hands, we simply can't obsess over what happens to the packages.  We have sent many packages and have to send them with the hopes that whatever happens to them will be for someone's good fortune, and remember that missing a package is the least of the worries of some of the troops.  It hurts to think that the black market exists, among other illegal activities, but we try to forget about that when we are shipping something that we hope will bring hope and smiles to the recipient.  It's a little like praying that you get safely to and from a destination when setting out on a trip.

In short, there are no pat answers to the problems of mailing to and from so many different places.  What works one time might not work another time or for another person.

Gran

I shipped a box to this young lady and her group today with a box of detergent, some underwear and sports bras, and a couple of cans of microwavable soups.  I have a 2nd box ready to go to her later this week (mostly food, if I remember correctly), then will retire from the ranks as she seems to have plenty of support now.

Gran:

We often fill little tiny thin spaces with shopping bags

I always ziplock everything in sight when I send packages, even the dry stuff. I kind of figure that the gallon ziplocks could be reused to divy things up - but they don't have the handy dandy handles like the shopping bags do.

I try to remember to take cloth bags shopping, but I still end up with tons of the plasitc kind. I use them to carry my lunch to work, line small trash cans in my house, and even carry spare shoes around in my car (so the muddy ones can go right back in the plastic instead of on my nice carpet).

Anyway, I just wanted to let you all know that Nicolette's halloween box made it to the PO yesterday along with a bunch of others. (I have one more trip today with the rest - then I am done for October as far as boxes go, since I am gonna spent all my spare money on gas/hotels/food for my road trip vacation. I will still get letters/cards/postcards out the rest of the month as I have a stash of stamps still sitting in my house.) 

Kathryn,

We pack with the shopping bags in addition to putting everything in the ziploc bags.  The only thing we don't put inside plastic bags is things like underwear and socks that are sold in plastic bags.  We even bought some of the really large, heavy, storage ziploc containers to line the box and then fold over to send one box full of the freezer pops so that they would have it for storage when they emptied the pops.  I was just hoping that one of them didn't pop and leak all over the nice bag.

Gran

Nicolette posted again yesterday (9/30).  She now is showing 24 address requests.  Has anyone posting here sent her any bowls or plates?  All we have sent to eat with is the plastic utensils, mostly spoons since they are more flexible.  I was also wondering if very many had sent detergent, besides Lilly, that I remembered said she had.  Does anyone know if they are requesting the foam disposable dishes, or reuseables?

Gran

Gran:

With all the uncertainties and possibilities after the packages leave our hands, we simply can't obsess over what happens to the packages.  Gran

Thank you for writing this post, Gran.  This is an issue I had to settle when I began sending boxes.  It is good to see this fear addressed resolutely for newcomers.  Being Support Junkies, we are subject to "obsessive" impulses.  ;-)

Gran:

Has anyone posting here sent her any bowls or plates? 

I will make a note to put some paper plates/disposible utensils in the the candy and snacks I send out the 1st of November. I know it is a ways off - but even if someone else sends some I am figuring by then she might need more. I am hitting up the Russell Stovers outlet on my roadtrip - so I will try not to eat it all before getting it mailed!! They always have good bargains there.

Hi Gran,

I sent Nicolette enough laundry soap for 49 to 52 loads...I can't remember the exact number. I bought another bottle to send out.

Kathy,

Thanks for posting that.  It helps to know that she seems to be getting a fairly balanced number of her requests and not all of one thing.

Gran

Hi Gran...

I received a letter from Nicolette yesterday, It was so exciting to hear from her. She said they had a bad day, but the jokes I sent had everyone laughing. It's so nice knowing I was able to bring them some joy and laughter. I have their Halloween box all packed and ready to mail tomorrow. I made 15 goodie bags, one for each soldier. I filled the rest of the box up with bags of candy that weren't individually wrapped, a Halloween Cd and decorations.

I also have a second box packed for tomorrow with body wash, body lotion, tooth paste, tooth brushes,writing stationary, coffee singles, sugar, creamer, and socks. I'm going shopping in the morning I'll look for some bowls and mail them with the laundry soap next week.

Take Care...Kathy

Hello - success at the chocolate store! I had to open some to taste test and make sure it was suitable - what an excuse - huh!

Anyway, I will be bringing lots of chocolate home for soldiers this holiday season! (I stopped on the way home too - they had the boxes of $8 chocolates on sale for 8 for price of one, and I found some cute individually wrapped football shaped chocolate covered marshmallows for 7 for $1. I also got some bars and  my spouse got a bunch of bags of the little fancy square flavored ones. I bought a buch of the imperfects for me - but I decided they would not be good to ship because they just come in a paper bag with the sticky label sealing the top - not really a good factory seal!)  We actually bought an 18 gal rubbermaid crate to put the chocolate in to tranport home without crushing them, and I also had a couple of extra cases of the boxed chocolates too.

what is this girls address i would love to write her. Love supporting our troops!